ABSTRACT
We encounter a broad spectrum of groups in our daily lives. We all belong to families; we work closely with colleagues in our careers; we belong to social, sports, and religious organizations; and we are all members of multiple social categories based on gender, race, nationality, socioeconomic status, age, and occupation, among others. It is not surprising then that social psychology has long been dedicated to the study of groups (Allport, 1954; Campbell, 1958; Heider, 1958; Lewin, 1948; Tajfel & Turner, 1979). Over the decades, a large corpus of theoretical and empirical research has accumulated on how groups form and develop, how we categorize group-related information, and how we develop and rely on impressions of the groups that we encounter in everyday life.
